Title: Bad Luck and No Hope
Author: Pattie
Rated: PG
Category: Post-Episode for After_the _Fact.
Spoilers: Hell Money
Summary: Mulder and Scully ponder the fate of Glen Chao.
Archive: Gossamer, After_the_Fact, any others please ask.
Feedback: pattie@parentpatch.com
Disclaimers: The plotline, characters, Mulder, Scully
and Skinner belong to Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen, and Fox
Studios. But these are my afterthoughts.
Office of The X-Files,
Fox Mulder
Dana Scully
"The symbol for *ghost* had been written in Chinese on
the inside of the cremation chamber. Why?" Mulder wondered
aloud in the basement office.
"Perhaps just some joke by a bitter client?" Scully asked
with a slight grin.
"Well, Scully, I doubt it was a dissatisfied customer. The
Chinese believe in luck, in honoring their ancestors, and in
particular, they do not want to shame their ancestors. No, Scully,
I think there was a supernatural element to the placement of the
symbol."
"Mulder, that gaming room had to be the best place for any
haunting or spiritual visitation. Whatever you wish to call it.
Still, perhaps it was just a prank."
"People write graffitti in those ovens everyday, Scully? I don't
think so. And Chao, just disappearing without a trace."
"I think he was afraid of another type of dishonor, Mulder. A
policeman with the force. Protecting the game. That would bring
dishonor to him not only as a cop, but as a member of that
community. Let's just write up the report and get it behind us.
I'm sure San Francisco P.D. will find him." Scully pressed the
enter key and slapped a folder against the desk. "Mulder. We
requisitioned for printer paper three days ago! I have a dental
appointment today and Skinner wants this thing on his desk... Now,
THIS is bad luck."
"Guess they lost it. I'll call upstairs and get them to..."
Scully stood abruptly. "I'll go grab a ream from them myself."
This case had been bothering her just as much as it had her
partner, and it hadn't escaped him.
"Scully, wait."
"It can't *wait*, Mulder. This needs to be on Skinner's desk
ASAP."
"No," he calmly stated. "Sit down. Please. Please?"
Scully had the look of a chastised school kid on her face.
"All right. What?"
"Is there something you're not telling me? Is the Chinatown case
bothering you?"
Sculy stared at her lap for a moment, then looked up. "Selling body
parts. Win, win a tidy sum of money. Howe can anyone who calls
himself a doctor participate in that kind of... of skullduggery?"
"He wasn't ethical, Scully. He was a profiteer more than anything
else."
"Yes, I know. And that's what bothers me the most, Mulder. That
girl was so sich, and she was about to lose her father.Wu knew
that. He knew, Mulder."
"I know. And I know that as a doctor and a human being, you are
very offended, to say the least. What really bothers me is Chao's
vanishing act."
"He probably ran, Mulder."
"Something tells me he didn't just run."
"Oh, no? I think a sufficient number of people were putting him
Number One on their hate list, Mulder. Perhaps the members of
the public who trusted him with their lives?"
"No, No, I don't think so."
"Most certainly not a ghost, Mulder! Hey, if that's what you're
thinking, fine! I have another theory."
"Murder?"
"Either that, or suicide."
"Well, at any rate, I guess we won't know until he's found, will
we?"
Scully gave it a moment's thought. "Will we?"
The agents just stared at each other for a long time.
"Paper," Scully finally said.
"Sure." Mulder left the office as Scully contemplated her disgust
with the arrogant Chinese doctor.
She could still hear his words, as his cigarette burned low in the
interrogation room: "...but life without hope... So, hope is
what I gave these men." She typed one more comment into her report.
"This man claimed to give hope. If he claims life without hope
as a living hell is the reason he did it, Dr. Wu will have many,
many years to have his own living hell."
END